Mubasher: Advance estimates indicated that US retailers saw a month-on-month sales growth in October, signalling that the strength of the country’s economy sustained its strength, official data revealed on Thursday.

Retail and food services sales totalled $511.5 billion in October, rising 0.8% month from a revised $507.6 billion in September, with an annual gain of 4.6%, the US Census Bureau reported.

The sales increase between August and September was revised upwardly to a loss of 0.1% from the initial reading of a 0.1% gain.

By 1:30 pm GMT, the US dollar index rose 0.39% to 97.1820.